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Wednesday, April 18, 2012

A Travel Journal

{wow. 10 years... that seems like the blink of an eye... yet, we are so well matched,

my Farmboy and I,

that our marriage feels like my right arm...

something I was born with and has been with me my whole life.}

Many years ago, we decided we would celebrate our first 10 years in Scotland.

So that is what we are doing.

Which of course, will call for a travel journal.

And so I made one.

I found this antique photo album in Austin last August, brought it home and put it in my slowly growing photo album pile.

{dear photo album pile, I love you. yours always, alisa}

After we purchased our plane tickets I went to my beautiful pile to find an album for the journal.

Lo and behold, I had just the perfect album and began immediately ripping that beauty apart.

Unfortunately, the photo block was glued to the fabric {once a deep, royal purple velvet, that was no longer velvet- just a rough fabric} with a glue so strong that not even father time was able to break it down and there was no way to save it.

So I used a pretty, thistle purple velvet ribbon for my binding tapes.

However, after sewing in my signatures, I lost the beauty of the velvet ribbon.

No problem, I thought. I had just enough ribbon left to cover the binding thread.

But then I did have a problem.

After tucking one end of the ribbon under a couple of the long binding stitches and gluing the ribbon end to the back of the ribbon, I found I couldn't do the same on the opposite side.

No way to get the glue in there after tucking the end through the stitches.

So I had to find another way to hold the ribbon in place.

To say I was giddy with excitement may be an understatement, when I thought to use embroidery as my solution.

I have to tell you, it was not necessarily an easy solution though.

I used a feather stitch to hold the end in place and proceeded to embroider thistles on each velvet tape.
{because I'm themey like that}

I used a raised chain stitch for my stem. A stitched I had not used before. Which is obvious by looking at my first {top} tape and comparing it to the last {bottom} tape that I stitched.
That's okay. I'm trying to embrace imperfection.
Not to mention it shows me the improvement I accomplished within a short time.

On the inside I used a collection of different scrapbook papers, bristol board, antique ledger, kraft cards/envelopes and washi tape.

If I can find the time I'm thinking about adding gesso and paint to some of the pages before we leave.

I am so happy with this journal and can't wait to fill it with memories.

After showing it to the Farmboy and he telling me how pretty it was, he asked,

"Wait, are you going to lug that thing all the way to and around Scotland?"

Alisa, that embroidered velvet ribbon is freakin' beautiful. You learnt this book making style from um, wait, it'll come to me ... oh maybe not, but I know. Just can't think of her name. I love it. This has been on my to do list and seeing your work makes me want to move it up and up....

Alisa such a perfect journal for the perfect memories over a ten year marriage.The cover and hand embroidered binding on that gorgeous velvet ribbon is truly gorgeous!Have a wonderful time sharing together!Suzy

Alicia, it's so lovely. Do you write mostly or more photos when you take a journal with you. My travel journals are tiny so that I can slip them into my purse, then I come back and publish and album...definitely more boring than yours. Do you have a post where you have pictures of a completede travel journal??

Oh this made me laugh!!! Even after 41 years it never ceases to amaze me the things he'll say or ask... Have a great time on your trip! And congrats on the 10 years. LOVE the journal. Can't wait to see more. HUGS!Charlene

lol - love it!What a wonderful journal and I love the thistles - so perfect, and the colour is gorgeous.Scotland is the place I have always wanted to go. We got side-tracked with France (which I loved) but Scotland is now at the top of the "Go-To" List.I hope you'll take lots of pictures!

I've never been to Scotland but my husband's relatives are all in Scotland and my sister lived there about five years. It is a gorgeous country. Your journal is Amazing! You do such stunning work, Alisa. And Happy Anniversary to you. :)

O my goodness... I am inclined to say "Don't fly with that gorgeous book as you will regret it every time you have to check in or out...". Been there, done that. I took a travel journal to America in the beginning of this year... and while it was so nice to work on it whilst traveling, it was the pitts to log it with me... With some eye flicking from my Mr Wonderful... For my coming trip in June, I will NOT take a travel journal... Grin. The book is a total GEM... The embroidery heavenly. Come and say hello when you are in Scotland. I live an hour from the Scottish border... in UK. ;o))

Love the journal and the writing...I am a recovering English teacher. Have a great trip. My "right arm" and I are traveling to Italy for our twentieth! You have inspired me to make a journal...and maybe to "embrace imperfection"! B-)